Category Archives: The Latest

A few weeks back (on March 1 to be precise) we celebrated a pretty big milestone around here: our mighty little shop turned 18. Now that we’ve crossed the all-important threshold, to 18 years old, we’re looking forward to exercising our rights, which in some cases involve very little actual exercise. Here’s a quick list … Continue reading We’re Legal!→

A decade ago, real estate marketing was relatively formulaic, and the approach to selling and leasing was based on the legacy model of pushing product. Nowadays, the focus is on lifestyle, and amenities. We’re offering a way of life that happens to come with a place to live, and lots of other perks. Many of … Continue reading Real Estate, the 2017 edition→

We all know the timeless adage, “It takes a village to raise a child.” That statement is also absolutely true in our profession with the cultivation and execution of an idea. We recently created a recipe video for our longtime client [yellow tail]. It was a simple request that we were happy to work with, … Continue reading Hitting the Mark – Teamwork Edition→

Everyone wants to be original, right? I do. Everyday I want to make something that is about me creatively, made by me. It’s rather interesting that I ended up in a career where I proudly attempt to make original things about other people. I love it. I understand it. The challenge is that it is … Continue reading Be Original→

You’d be surprised, really, at just how much we pay attention to numbers. Or maybe you wouldn’t. We are, after all, a shop full of nerds of varying degrees. But maybe it’s the kind of numbers we pay attention to that you’d find the most fascinating (besides all the important ones that lead to our … Continue reading Numbers→

If you’re local, you know it. You may have even stayed there, back when the rates were hourly and the clientele a bit…loose. We’re not judging. What we are doing is writing to boast about how incredible the restored hotel is, and how much fun we have had rebranding this iconic pillar of Fairfield County … Continue reading Christening the new Hi-Ho→

I have returned to my beginnings, professionally speaking. We have recently moved our offices to downtown Bridgeport, where I landed my first professional design gig (barring my internship with Alexander Isley, Inc… yes, I’m name dropping). I love The Park City and have sorely missed it since I left that job many moons ago. There … Continue reading Coming Full Circle→

It’s hard to describe how we came to hold Tuesdays in such high regard—how this seemingly non-descript day, wedged in between Monday’s blues and Wednesday’s humps, came to signify the most meaningful of weekdays. It started with a hire, years ago. I botched his start date, and was left wondering why our brand new programming … Continue reading Tuesday→

What inspires us? What motivates a small studio to accomplish big things, day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year? How can we continue to motivate our team in a way that creates more passion than resentment, more enthusiasm than apathy, more happiness than unhappiness, and more cash than lint balls? … Continue reading Inspiration Week→

When word arrived that we would have the honor of designing the campaign for the 2015 Connecticut Art Director’s Club Awards Show, two things ran through my head: “Yay!” followed quickly by “don’t screw this one up!” It’s a weird feeling, designing for designers. Usually our work is seen by the general public, who have … Continue reading The Mad Science of Design→

We’re spinning dizzy, on the heels of some heavy metal accolades at last week’s Connecticut Art Director’s Awards. Literally, the awards are made of metal and could be used for all sorts of things, at the very least for some serious bicep curls. Held in downtown Hartford’s old G. Fox building, the annual celebration of … Continue reading Feeling Grateful for Shiny Moments→

We’re told to be silent in the library. We’re told to be silent in class. We’re told to be silent in so many places, but not here. Before working here, one of the top things on my wishlist for a job was to be able to listen to music while working. My wish came true … Continue reading Enjoy the Silence…Not→

Regardless of how remarkable technology is, and how easy it makes connecting with clients all around the world in an instant, nothing supports the relationship between client and agency like an actual in-person. Putting names to faces might seem old school, but nothing says we’re actual people who actually care about your business (and your … Continue reading Have Clients, Will Travel→

We turned 16 years old on March 1st! We can drive, almost vote, and rejoice that in this sweet phase of teenage maturity, our agency is almost grown-up. Almost. All awkward kidding aside, this anniversary is particularly special, because we finally figured out what we wanna do when we’re all grown up. Turns out, we’re … Continue reading Sweet 16→

Laugh all you want at the title of this post, but the truth is that anyone who knows anything about development and small agencies knows that there is a healthy co-dependency happening between employer and employee. We’re looking for a purple unicorn. You know, THAT programmer that everyone wants. The one that comes with a … Continue reading Agency Seeking Developer Soulmate→

You’ve seen the list, I’m sure. Taped to a wall or a desk or the fridge in the office kitchen with the headline THANKSGIVING FOOD, or something of that ilk. When the infamous sign-up list for the MadMott Thanksgiving Feast gets posted, it signals the start of all things holiday—not just Thanksgiving—and along with that … Continue reading Giving Thanks→

So many things about the RFP (Request for Proposal) process are totally busted, like that conversion van from the 80’s that just kept limping along until it eventually (read: hopefully) caught fire on the LIE, stalling traffic for hours, maybe days. Most business owners are familiar with how it all goes down: your company receives … Continue reading The Gamble of an RFP→

Small business culture is (in my opinion) one of the most over-saturated news buckets around. But I digress, because our culture as a shop is pretty damn cool. Mistakes are encouraged, but repeating the same one is not. No questions are stupid (unless Grabell deems them so) and sometimes the “dumbest” questions are the ones … Continue reading Lunch Time→